The Grand Treasurership.

THE GRAND TREASURERSHIP .

THE struggle which is this year taking place for the office of Grand Treasurer of England is being carried out on much the same lines as has marked the contest in years gone by when more than one brother has been nominated for the appointment . In the one case the candidate is seeking the office purely as a reward for merit , contenting himself with the formal nomination made on his behalf

in Grand Lodge , and the knowledge of his claims for promotion possessed by the Craft at large . In the other the office is apparently regarded as a high position , to be gained by diligent and active canvass , backed up with a large expenditure of money , in the usual tactics of an electioneering campaign . Whatever there is of honour attached to the office seems

likely to be sacrificed iu this latter case , in the knowledge that personal influence has far more to do with the election than considerations of merit possessed by the brother primarily concerned , but as

there is nothing in the laws of the Craft to prevent this periodical scramble for office , it is perhaps out of place for us to offer any protest against it . We can only look on , as many others havo to do , and feel that the best interests of Freemasonry are set

aside in this particular case , considerations of personal advancement taking the place of the higher principles which should prevail at such times . It is very much to be regretted that these tactics are considered necessary ; much more so that they should be periodically brought to bear upon what is

frequently described as the highest honour in the gift of the English Craft , outside the one office of the Grand Mastership ; but we have to deal with the case as we find it , and in this particular the surroundings are certainly not to our liking . It has frequently been urged that the -holder of

the office of Grand Treasurer of England labours under a disadvantage in not being admitted a member of the Grand Officers' Mes 3 , but when we consider the means which are sometimes used to secure this particular piece of purple , we can hardly wonder at the outburst of exclusiveness which precludes the admission of the elected commoner among the appointed peers of the Craft . Whatever charge may macie

ue against the Grand Omcers—not that we think of making any charge—it is certain that their appointment to office has been secured in a decorous manner , and , as far as the general body of the Craft is able to discover , without any personal influence being brought to bear upon those at the head of the Order . No doubt some of the appointments in Grand

ijoage have been hastened because a word has been said in favour of this or that Brother by some one in authority , but at least there is the decency of privacy in the advocacy , and , so far as outsiders are able to judge , the appointments are truly rewards for merit . Uut can the same be said for the Grand Treasurer-

The Grand Treasurership.

ship ? Does it not look more like a purchased office ? Not , perhaps , purchased by an actual cash payment , but none the less possible of being secured by the lavish expenditure of pounds , shillings , and pence . This one consideration is alone sufficient to justify

the Grand Officers' Mess in their exclusiveness , for as in one case the honour of merit is recognised , in the other there is no gainsaying the fact that other considerations may prevail , and may really be answerable for the appointment .

Looking at the matter from another point of view , we must recognise that a very considerable amount of ill feeling is engendered in connection with these contests , especially when , as is the case this year , two men with claims running in some directions on identical lines are nominated for the office . We believe it has been urged , whether officially or not we

cannot say , that a few friends of the two candidates should meet , and try and . arrange for one or the other to retire ; but there is difficulty in such an arrangement , so much difficulty in fact that we must dismiss it as outside the range of possibility ; and although we should much prefer to see a different spirit prevail , we imagine there is nothing to be done but to make an appeal to the ballot . We have seen similar

struggles in private Lodges , and the same tactics have often been manifest in Provincial bodies , while outside the Craft , whether we turn to the political or the general world , we have numerous instances of the same unfortunate struggles before us , while in no case has a satisfactory remedy been discovered for

the evil . Freemasonry , however , might have set an example in this direction , or at least we are of that opinion , and we even now hope that something may be 230 ssible to prevent the recurrence of unhappy contests such as have taken place in the past , and which seem to threaten the English Craft in the future .

Muster Rolls And Cash Balances.

MUSTER ROLLS AND CASH BALANCES .

SOME time ago we wero asked by an esteemed Past Master what we considered the best criterion of a Lodge ' s successful working , or , in other words , what line of report should he most gratifying for the Worshipful Master to make on his retiring' from office ? We . confess

that the question somewhat staggered us at the time , and certaiuly furnished food for much reflection afterwards . We are afraid the result of our reflections does not altogether square with those themes which form / the

burdens of the songs of most Masters on their retirement from office . Generally speaking , your average ruler of tho Craft aays very little in the valedictory way unless he has one ( or both ) of two things to boast of . One is a laro-e

numbers of initiates , and tbe other a goodly balance at the bankers . We confess to having much fraternal suspicion of Lodges which make boast of these two lines of progress . We begin to be afraid that , with the best of intentions , they are on the wrong tack . If . Freemasonry were a